Powerful auras began to appear above the clouds as the experts from the various tribes started to arrive.
"Quick, look! The Chen family is here. The young man in the old-fashioned formal attire in the middle is the legendary Young Sword Saint!"
As the Chen family entered, the crowd's chatter finally shifted from the Jiang and Ye families to the Young Sword Saint.
"He is Chen Changkong."
Xu Mu gazed from afar at the young swordsman walking in the center of the group. The latter wore ancient martial world formal attire, with his long hair tied back in a braid, black locks naturally falling on both sides. He wore wooden clogs, had a sword at his waist, and looked every bit like a person from the martial world.
The legendary Young Sword Saint looked like this?
Xu Mu was somewhat surprised. This Chen Changkong bore no resemblance to his brother, Chen Ming. The latter was a typical rich young master, while Chen Changkong looked like a chivalrous hero who punished evil and promoted good.
As the Chen family arrived, more and more influential clans began to show up.
"Look, such a dense aura of malevolence! The Jialan tribe has arrived!" a cultivator exclaimed, pointing at a patch of black clouds in the distance. This immediately drew everyone's attention.
As the black clouds descended, the members of the Jialan tribe became visible. Each of them exuded a powerful, gloomy aura.
The Jialan Charm Ghost who had pursued Xu Mu that day was among them, as was Jialan Yanliang, one of the Twelve Earthly Fiends of the Ghost Realm, whom Xu Mu had defeated.
"That person is Zhou Jie, the leader of the Twelve Earthly Fiends of the Ghost Realm. He's walking alone at the front!"
As the crowd gasped, Xu Mu followed their gaze and saw the so-called Zhou Jie.
The latter walked alone at the very front of the Twelve Earthly Fiends, alongside elders of the Jialan tribe. His face was sallow, his eye sockets deeply sunken and fierce, and he was enveloped in ghostly energy.
"Zhou Jie is someone who can contend with Chen Changkong. He truly is extraordinary today. I can feel his malevolence even from this distance, making my hair stand on end!"
A cultivator, wrapping his robes tighter, said nervously. Although he was hailed as a prodigy within his own clan, he was still far inferior to Zhou Jie, the leader of the Twelve Earthly Fiends of the Jialan tribe and their foremost genius.
The person beside him nodded, half-believing, "He is indeed powerful. However, I heard that Chen Changkong has already killed a third-stage demon beast across realms. No matter how strong Zhou Jie is, can he compare to him?"
The young man shook his head, his expression grave. "It's hard to say. Although Zhou Jie has no record of winning across realms, it's said that he's a genius who has comprehended a fourth-stage ability. His combat power shouldn't be limited to the second realm."
"Then, who do you think will take the Supreme Seat at this Myriad Tribes Assembly?"
Another young cultivator smacked his lips and asked curiously. The "Supreme" he referred to was the first place in the final ranking.
The young man shook his head and sighed, "It's hard to say. Too many geniuses have emerged in this generation's Myriad Tribes Assembly."
"Xuanyuan Shennian of the Xuanyuan tribe cultivates an ancient technique. It's said that her cultivation realms are different from ordinary ability users, but if we were to compare them to ours, she was already at the third stage a year ago."
The person beside him exclaimed in shock, "Is that true?"
"I thought Ye Gong of the Ye family was already incredibly talented, but Xuanyuan Shennian broke through a year earlier than him?"
The young man sighed and nodded. "Indeed. My clan has some ties with the Xuanyuan tribe, and I've had the honor of seeing Xuanyuan Shennian in action before."
"At that time, I was just a newcomer who had barely entered the second stage, and she could already draw her bow and kill a peak second-stage great demon."
Hearing this, the nearby cultivator looked towards the Xuanyuan tribe's direction, at the dignified woman in a black and gold robe at the front and center, and swallowed unnaturally.
"According to you, the Supreme position at this Myriad Tribes Assembly will go to Xuanyuan Shennian?"
The young man from the Xiang clan shook his head and sighed again. "Still hard to say."
"Putting aside what we've discussed, among the strong experts of the hundred tribes this time, there's also Li Guang of the Li family, known as the foremost person in the divine soul path in the Myriad Gods Domain. He comprehended the Heart of the Array Craftsman very early on and can form an array with a wave of his hand."
"There's also Chu Chao of the Chu family, Dongfang Mubai of the Dongfang family, the Third Prince of the Murong clan, Jiang Sheng of the Jiang family, the Imperial Son Xu Wen of the Xu family, and so on. Too many geniuses are at the peak of the second stage, and they all seem to possess combat power comparable to the third stage. Some even have abilities that surpass the third stage when unleashed."
"Such individuals, if they were to break through to the third stage during the Myriad Tribes Assembly, or if their displayed combat power during desperate moments, would be immeasurable to 'mortals' like us. Therefore, discussing who will win the Supreme position based on superficial strength is meaningless right now."
The genius from the Xiang clan paused, then looked towards the Xuanyuan tribe and said, "However, it can be confirmed that Xuanyuan Shennian is one of the two strongest women among the hundred tribes."
The person beside him asked curiously,
"You said 'one of the two.' Who is the other one?"
The genius from the Xiang clan replied, "The Saintess of the Nangong tribe in this generation, Nangong Huaitian. It's said her talent and strength are comparable to her brother's."
The young man's eyes widened, and he stammered, "You-you-you're talking about Nangong Taiyi, the prodigy from the Nangong tribe who went mad, who swept through an entire generation with no equal in the land of the hundred tribes, and comprehended the True Phoenix divine ability?!"
"Of course, it's him," the descendant of the Xiang clan nodded, his expression grave. "That Saint Son was so invincible back then, yet he was defeated by that person from the Great Xia Dynasty, shattering his Dao heart and driving him mad."
"And the Saintess of the Nangong tribe in this generation is that Saint Son's sister. Her talent and strength are equally formidable, but she has never made a move. We only know that her alchemy talent is very strong."
The young man nodded and sighed, "But since she's that person's sister, her strength should be comparable to Xuanyuan Shennian's, right?"
"But now that you mention it, all the people from the hundred tribes are almost here. Why haven't the Nangong family arrived yet?"
The young man from the Xiang clan also paused. He looked around and indeed, he didn't see any sign of the Nangong family. Just as he was about to ask an elder from his clan, he saw two figures slowly flying from the horizon.
One of them, his face aged, stood on white clouds, exuding a powerful aura. He was clearly an elder from a certain clan.
The other was a woman dressed in a simple white dress, with a well-proportioned and alluring figure and clear, beautiful eyes.
"This must be the Saintess of the Nangong tribe, Nangong Huaitian!" the Xiang clan genius exclaimed, a hint of fervent admiration flashing in his eyes.
Nangong Huaitian, as the Saintess, always concealed her face with a white veil, her eyes clear and beautiful. Yet, such simple adornment had stolen the hearts of countless young geniuses from major clans, and he was no exception.
Numerous influential families had proposed marriage, practically beating down the door of the Nangong tribe, but all were rejected. This was because Nangong Huaitian's goal was to surpass her brother and ultimately defeat that person, and her condition was thus.
Whoever could be stronger than her and defeat Ji Chang, she would marry.
Thus, all families fell silent.
No matter how outstanding and powerful the geniuses of their respective clans were, they could not possibly be stronger than the Nangong family's former Saint Son, the man who had comprehended the True Phoenix divine ability.
And that man had been defeated by Ji Chang.
Therefore, they were naturally inferior to Ji Chang.
Nangong Huaitian, no one could obtain.
"I wonder if anyone at this Myriad Tribes Assembly will lift her veil and allow us to see her true appearance?"
The Xiang clan genius mused with admiration and regret in his eyes. Such a person was not lacking in women, but for Nangong Huaitian, he was merely the most unremarkable of her myriad suitors.
Xu Mu stood among the Jiang family crowd, gazing at the white-robed woman walking on clouds, stepping on lotuses, and for a moment, he was lost in a daze.
He remembered that in the square of Bu Luo City, Nangong Huaitian had thrown him a token as she left. It was then that the wind had lifted her veil, revealing half of her face.
Her face was not overwhelmingly stunning, but it possessed an indescribable beauty, like the gentle breeze rippling across a lake, a quiet elegance.
Combined with her clear eyes and a Dao sword, Xu Mu had no doubt that if Nangong Huaitian truly revealed her true appearance, her suitors would double.
Xu Mu pondered these thoughts, then shifted his gaze to Nangong Mao Guan. The latter was currently explaining something with a solemn expression to the elders in the center.
"Our Nangong tribe can only send two people this time. The other geniuses have forfeited their participation."
On the judges' panel of the Myriad Tribes Assembly, the five supreme experts were taken aback. Only one person from the Nangong tribe would participate in the Myriad Tribes Assembly?
"I understand your clan's situation. It's already difficult to send one person. However, Mao Guan, have you considered that the Myriad Tribes Assembly concerns the various interests of your Nangong family, and you might even be excluded from the hundred tribes. Are you sure you won't send more people?"
On the judges' panel, a gaunt old Daoist sternly spoke. He was a Half-step Human King from the White Cloud Daoist Temple and had a good relationship with the Nangong family, which was why he had made an exception to give the Nangong family a chance.
Nangong Mao Guan sighed and shook his head. "There's nothing we can do. It's already the limit of what our Nangong tribe can do for the Young Lady to participate. As for the rest, they are currently..."
"In any case, that's how it is. I believe the Young Lady's talent is no less than her brother's. Even alone, she will surely be able to protect our Nangong family's honor."
Nangong Mao Guan said this, his expression extremely serious, and he glanced back at Nangong Huaitian.
The latter had also taken her seat alone in the Nangong tribe's designated area, with no one around her, appearing quite solitary.
However, she would occasionally turn her head, her eyes subtly moving, as if searching for someone. Wherever her gaze fell, almost all the young male geniuses would unconsciously stiffen, maintaining solemn expressions, hoping to leave a good impression on Nangong Huaitian.
But they didn't know that Nangong Huaitian wasn't looking at them at all.
She was looking for Xu Mu.
"Since that's the case, I won't say more."
The old Daoist on the judges' panel sighed, then looked at the crowd in the field and glanced up at the sun.
"It's time."
"The Myriad Tribes Assembly begins."
He said this, and instantly, a violent roar echoed through heaven and earth. The surrounding clouds and mist churned, and auspicious rays of light shone, illuminating every genius who was qualified to participate in the Myriad Tribes Assembly.
"The hour has come. The Myriad Tribes Assembly is about to commence its first round. All participating cultivators, please follow the guidance of the auspicious light to the cloud platform."
Hearing this, Xu Mu looked at the auspicious light enveloping him in the sky and instinctively prepared to fly up. Without any resistance, he was transported to an incredibly vast expanse of clouds.
However, he had flown up. Theoretically, this cloud layer should be higher than the previous void layer, but in reality, the position he was currently in was precisely the sunken part of that void layer.
All cultivators not covered by the auspicious light stood in the void, forming a large circle. They could see the entire scene of the cloud layer below them, as if watching a battle arena.
"This is an independent spatial battle arena, but its visibility is connected to the outside world, so everyone can see what you are doing," the judge from the White Cloud Daoist Temple said, pausing for a moment before continuing. "The first round of the competition requires you to sit still. Then, the auspicious light from the sky will lead your souls to another space."
"In that space, all your cultivation realms will be suppressed to the next lower stage, which is the realm immediately after you awaken your ability."
"There, you will forget all the Dao techniques, abilities, and martial skills you have learned previously. What you need to do is traverse an ancient battlefield and finally reach the finish line, controlling your soul to return to your own body."
"The battlefield is perilous. If you cannot improve your strength and realm in time, you will face the danger of death. Therefore, just in case, you will have one opportunity to crush the jade slip and withdraw from the competition."
As the old man spoke, the participating geniuses below nodded, their expressions solemn.
No one had expected that the first round of the Myriad Tribes Assembly would be conducted in such a manner, where everyone's cultivation and strength would be standardized. To pass, one would have to improve their strength on the spot.
Undoubtedly, this tested comprehension.
However, everyone present was a genius, and no one doubted their own talent. They were confident that even if they had to start from scratch, they could quickly reach the top, or even go further.
"This first trial is both a test and an opportunity, because each of them has a chance to awaken new abilities."
Above the clouds, an elder commented to the person beside him.
"Yes, being able to reawaken abilities or change the direction of ability development is itself a great opportunity. This Myriad Tribes Assembly will be worth watching."
Someone said with a smile, and at the same time, the participants from various families were enveloped by the auspicious light and sat cross-legged on the clouds, their consciousness entering the illusion.
The next moment, when everyone opened their eyes, they found themselves transported to a deep, dense forest!
...